Family visit: Part 3

We flew to Singapore early on Friday morning to spend our last three days together in this vibrant, east-meets-west, well-organized, modern, and fabulously clean city.  Since there's so much to see and explore, I didn't mind going back for a second time!

We got a taxi to the Novotel in Clark Quay, checked in, then realized that one of our bags was left unattended at the airport.  Thankfully Adam was able to track it down, and after lunch, he and his dad went to recover it while Robin and Matthew explored and the kids and I enjoyed some downtime.  Then it was off to the Night Safari!

Despite Singapore's fabulous infrastructure, it still took a long time to get to the zoo, and the rain started falling in buckets while we were on the bus.  We decided to take a chance and hopped off at our destination, hoping that it would stop while we grabbed dinner.  And it did!  We all enjoyed the tram ride past a huge variety of nocturnal animals and afterwards saw an entertaining Creatures of the Night show.  Lots of fun!

The next morning, we headed to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a huge oasis of serene beauty in the heart of the city.  Rachel started complaining about the heat until she discovered the Children's Garden, built especially to foster a love of science and botany in little people.  We played there awhile then had to fashion umbrellas to keep our heads dry as we walked to the Visitor's Center.  On the way out, everyone enjoyed the Evolution Garden and the huge petrified wood samples.

After lunch, we wandered along the riverfront and took in various sights, including the historic Fullerton Hotel.  Later, some of us sat on pews inside the beautiful St. Andrew's Cathedral and enjoyed the organist practicing some hymns.

That night, we headed to the Marina Bay Sands complex and enjoyed the nightly laser show "Wonderful" over the bay, backed by the amazing city skyline.  We also witnessed a parade of uniformed security officers and army troops marching to celebrate Singapore's birthday.

We window-shopped among the high-end stores, but when it was time to makan, it was so crowded that we couldn't find a table anywhere.  Plan B was just fine with me: back to Clark Quay to enjoy tasty Tex-Mex (oh, how I've missed you . . . ) at Cafe Iguana.

We spent our last day on Sentosa Island, at Universal Studios.  Our first ride, Lights, Camera, Action!, reinacted a Cat 5 hurricane right in front of us.  Our kids were all shaking from the loud noises, wind, fire, and water sprays, but they recovered quickly when Robin took them all to Far, Far Away (Shrek).  (Meanwhile, Adam, Tim, Matthew, and I got to ride the dueling roller coasters and Revenge of the Mummy with no wait at all!)

Later, we rejoined our family and had fun in Jurassic Park, flying over treetops on the Canopy Flyer and all getting soaked on the river rapids!  We ended the day with a ride on the super-cool 3D Transformers ride, which was like no other ride I've ever been on.  (Seriously, watch this clip! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FUxZ9edjXA))  All loved it except Rachel, who described it as "stupid!" (she was scared!).

Our busy day ended with Singapore-famous chili crab from Jumbo Seafood--so good!  And then we had to say our goodbyes to fly home in the morning--so sad!  But what a wonderful time these past two weeks have been--so special!

Family visit: Part 2

On Sunday morning, we took our family to visit our new church home, Georgetown Baptist.  After, we caught a taste of British opulence walking thru the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, then ambled across the street to the Little Penang Street Market.  We had fun browsing the locally-made crafts, but alas, my favorite "bag lady" wasn't there!  (I love her hand-stitched cloth bags and always manage to bring home a few.)

We grabbed some lunch at New World Center, then it was off to the Hard Rock Hotel to spend a fun afternoon poolside.  And what fun we had!  Adam, Tim, and I tried parasailing for the first time and loved the exhilaration of "flying" through the air pulled by a speedboat.  Matthew stayed closer to the ground and rented a jet-ski.  Everyone had a good time and an enjoyable dinner at Ferringhi Garden.  We then hailed a taxi for our family while Adam and I redeemed our free night stay at the hotel (included with our membership).  Adam also enjoyed the complimentary foot massage in the morning (a good way to start his birthday!), then we drove home to meet our family.  Adam then took them on a tour of the Blue Mansion (voted one of the 10 best mansions in the world).

That evening, we toured Fort Cornwallis to learn about British-occupied Penang, then headed to Straits Quay, a boating marina with high-end restaurants and boutique shops.  We took the free tour at the Royal Selangor gallery to learn about the tin mining industry, then ate at one of my kids' favorite places, Delicious.  (Abigail claims the best mac and cheese in the world comes from there. . . .it sure is pretty good!)

On Tuesday, I took them to Old Town White Coffee for nasi lemak, a classic Malay breakfast dish of rice sweetened with coconut milk and served with peanuts, cucumber slices, half a boiled egg, fried anchovies, and spicy sambal on the side--yummy!  We then went to the Pulua Tikus wet market for an eye-opening and colorful tour and bought ingredients to make dinner at home.  Tim bought some prawns and made us seafood jambalaya, and I had the butcher chop up a whole chicken (these guys are magic with the meat cleavers!) for my dish of spicy chicken with bell peppers.

The next day smog descended upon Penang so I couldn't take them up Penang Hill.  Instead, we went to the War Museum and had a sombering look into WWII and the island under Japanese occupation.  (Mark and Matthew enjoyed crawling through the escape tunnel on hands and knees!)  On a lighter note, we enjoyed a fresh seafood dinner that night at nearby Ocean Green.

For their last full day in Malaysia, I took them to the beautiful Peranakan mansion for a glimpse into the lives of wealthy Chinese immigrants that took Malay wives.  Robin particularly loved the extensive collections of beaded shoes, tapestries, jewelry, and ceramics.  For their last dinner in Malaysia, we took them to our favorite Thai restaurant, Chok Dee Thai.

Family visit: Part 1

We have all been anticipating the visit of Adam's parents and his brother Matthew for a long time, and when they finally came, time went by so quickly!  This was the first overseas trip for his mom and brother, and apart from being delayed by a day due to a typhoon in Hong Kong and rerouted to Japan, all arrived safely.  (They even came bearing gifts for us all, and we enjoyed our "second Christmas"!)

I packed alot in a short amount of time!  For our first meal together, we went to Northam Beach, thus introducing them to the hawker center concept and some tasty local favorites like char kuey teow.  After a deserved night's sleep, I took them to the youth park to see monkeys, to Gurney mall for lunch, and to dinner near the Esplanade.

Friday was a fun and busy day of exploration.  Everyone enjoyed the beautiful variety of butterflies at the Penang Butterfly Farm.  After, we enjoyed the wonderful ocean views and Thai cuisine at Tree Monkey, followed by a walking tour of the flora at the Tropical Spice Gardens.  I supervised the kids at the life-size Snakes and Ladders game onsite.

For dinner that night, we took our family to our favorite place, Tek Sen Cafe on Carnavon street.  Always packed and loud, this shophouse consistently churns out excellent Chinese food, is easy on the wallet, and oozes Georgetown charm.  Thankfully, it was well received by our family!

On Saturday morning, we were off to share another favorite Malay tradition, roti canai.  We took them to Jalan Transfer and sweated thru a flavorful breakfast of roti (a flat bread resembling a crepe), spicy curry chicken, and kopi (local coffee)--so good!  Afterwards, Adam took them to explore the Thai and Burmese Buddhist temples on Lorong Burma, an "enlightening" experience!

Robin enjoyed the playful decor and excellent food churning out of the micro kitchen at Amelie's Cafe, while the boys couldn't find a table and walked to China House for lunch instead.  Afterwards, they explored historic Armenian street and came home after for some well-earned downtime.  Our evening was a wonderful mix of cultures as we wandered thru Little India and dined on Indian food at Kapitan's followed by Chinese performances at An Evening of Lights at Khoo Kongsi clan house.  I just love Georgetown!

Beautiful Bali: Part 2

We made it up to the mountains and checked in to our two cute little cottages at Strawberry Hill Hotel.  Beautifully landscaped with flowers, the property also had a small gazebo, a fish pond, and strawberry plantings.  I had to get out my cardigan since it was cooler up there, but the drizzle and fog didn’t stop us from strolling through the Bali Botanical Gardens.  Later, we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a meal by the fireplace in the cozy restaurant, warming our tummies with hot cocoa and vegetable curry.  Back in our rooms, we snuggled and watched Wizard of Oz on the Ipad, and Rachel kept me warm that night in our shared bed.

 In the morning, the rain had stopped so we were able to do the adventure I'd planned, the Bali Treetop Adventure Park.  We clipped, zipped, and climbed our way through various courses, some designed for even the littlest adventurers.  Everyone had a fun time and sore muscles the next day!

Afterwards, our driver took us to the Pura Lake Bratan, where we ate lunch and saw this picturesque temple by the lake.  Then we traveled south to central Bali to stay at Anahata Villas near Ubud.  I think we were the only guests at the time which was a mystery since we adored our very comfortable 3-story private villa!  We enjoyed downtime after the long drive by splashing in our plunge pool and ordering room service.

The next day after a nice breakfast overlooking the jungle, our kids enjoyed a complimentary horse ride.  We walked thru the village surrounding our hotel, past rice fields, private homes with family temples in front, and lots of roosters, chicks, and muddy ducks!

Later, we hired a driver to take us to the nearby Gunung Kawi tombs, built over 1,000 years ago.  These impressive memorials were carved straight out of the rock in the bottom of a beautiful river canyon.  Our guide then took us up to the town of Kintamani where we had lunch overlooking the lovely Batur volcano.­­­­­­­­

In the evening, we took the hotel’s shuttle into Ubud and watched a colorful performance of the Barong and Legong dances at Ubud Palace.  I particularly loved the expressive eyes of the female dancers, the colorful costumes, and the gamelan musicians we sat behind!

On our last full day, I had signed up for a bike tour through Bali Baik Bike, and this was my favorite memory from the trip!  Our guide picked us up from the hotel and drove us to a restaurant overlooking Batur for breakfast.  After, we hopped on bikes for a gentle, downhill, 2-hour ride through the countryside.  It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and we marveled at the lovely green rice fields and colorful kites flying everywhere.  We stopped frequently along the way, and our guide would introduce us to different aspects of life for the Balinese people.  We witnessed preparations for a mass cremation ceremony, were introduced to Hindu spiritual beliefs, and learned about the various stages of rice production.  As we passed villages, happy children would smile and say “hello”, and I loved getting to touch hands as we rode by!  At the end of the tour, we were taken to the owner’s house and served a lunch of traditional Balinese foods.  What a treat!

That evening, we went back to Ubud to eat dinner and do some shopping.  Bali is famous for its many skilled artisans, and beautiful things abound here.  I was particularly impressed with the stone and wood carvers, but Bali is truly a haven for all kinds of artists, and we saw amazing paintings, tapestries, jewelry, and bone and shell carvings.  I wished that I could spend another day browsing further, but alas, we had to fly home.

Our trip to Bali was incredible, and we feel blessed to have visited this beautiful island!  Now I need to watch Eat, Pray, Love again . . .

Beautiful Bali: Part 1

The first six weeks of summer was relatively uneventful, lots of swimming and time at home.  By mid-July I was ready for a holiday, and the Island of the Gods proved to be a magical retreat for our family.  Indonesia consists of more than 10,000 islands, and most of them are predominantly Muslim.  The island of Bali, however, is largely Hindu, and we were enriched by its fascinating culture, the spirituality of its people, and its vibrant colors.

Coming from smoggy Malaysia, the island's beauty presented itself first from the air, as we witnessed a gorgeous sunset up above the clouds.  Bali is world-famous for its natural beauty, from its white and black sand beaches to its terraced rice paddies, from its volcanoes and waterfalls to its abounding temples.  In fact, Bali was recently listed as one of the top 10 islands in the world to visit (Penang is also on the list!), and we'll never be closer than we are now!

Upon arrival, we were swept into a mob as we emerging into the very small and crowded airport, another in the process of renovation to better accommodate the huge number of tourists each year.  When we got outside, I was to be greeted by a hotel employee, but I was not expecting so many people!  I felt a bit like a celebrity as I stood in front and browsed all the signs looking for my name.  I finally found our driver, and he herded us through the crowd to our van.  Glad I didn't rent a car here!

A short drive later, we entered the glorious oasis that is the Intercontinental Bali in Jimbaran.  Certainly this was the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, an expensive luxury but worth every rupiah!  The staff was extremely attentive and dressed in traditional attire, every space was decorated thoughtfully with Balinese style elegance, breakfast spreads were incredible, and beautiful details presented themselves throughout.

The first three days, we enjoyed the amenities of the resort, playing with the kids in the six amazing pools, riding bikes with Mark around the grounds, eating local cuisine alfresco at the cafe, reading on our patio, sipping cocktails on the couches at the Sunset Bar while the kids played in the kid's club.  (Also worth the money, this was the best Kids' Club we've encountered thus far.  Complete with a kids' pool, large playscape, trampoline, and indoor room with Wii and a schedule of arts/crafts, my kids were begging to have us drop them off!)  One afternoon, Adam and I enjoyed traditional Balinese full-body massages, a truly relaxing experience.  A memorable highlight for Abigail was getting to release a baby turtle into the sea!

We did venture outside the resort once during these first days, on an organized tour to the clifftop Uluwata temple.  We were given the traditional sash and sarong to wear, then headed up the steps to see incredible views from the cliff.  (My mommy senses were full-on; "don't get too close to that edge!!")  The tour also included a performance of the Kecak dance, a local dance involving about 30 men making music in harmony by chanting "chak chak" while colorful, expressive ladies and others in masks danced to tell a story. Mark particularly loved the comical masked monkey and the fire dance finale.  Like nothing I've ever seen before!

The southern beaches of Jimbaran are also famous for their beachside seafood barbeques, and we dined there by candlelight two different nights.  So fresh, so cheap, and so good!

On the fourth day, it was finally time to leave our hotel and see more of the island.  We hired a driver to take us up to Bedugul in the mountains.  The traffic on the island was incredible, and the small roads just couldn't handle the volume of cars.  (Developing Bali is certainly far from the organized infrastructure of Singapore!)

On the way, our driver stopped at an agro farm, where we were given umbrellas and led down a rainy path past various fruit trees to a shack where an older woman was roasting coffee beans over a fire.  Mark even got the chance to grind some manually!  Next, we sat down at covered tables where we were served samplings of various teas and coffees, and the kids were served hot cocoa--yummy!  Adam and I paid to try "kopi luwak", the most expensive coffee in the world.  (A particular kind of cat eats, then expels the coffee beans.  The whole, partially digested beans are then collected, cleaned, and ground to form a uniquely smooth flavor.)